The Prince in Waiting
by Aerysa
Summary: -one shot- Fairytale style short story about Yuki and Tohru.


This isn't exactly the best time for me to be writing and all, but oh well. ^^ This is my first Furuba fan fic though it's actually something adapted by one of my original pieces of work. It was originally a fairy tale with nameless people, but I just changed some details so that it fits the anime. If you haven't guessed already, the prince is supposed to be Yuki and the princess, Tohru. There's probably some out of character qualities, but anyways, I hope you like it.  
  
Disclaimer: Tohru, Yuki, Shigure and Kyou aren't mine! They're all characters from Fruits Basket ^^  
  
**********  
  
The Prince in Waiting  
  
Once upon a time, there was a handsome young prince with lustrous black hair and beautiful grey eyes. He lived in the palace with his family, the king, Shigure Souma, and his cousin, Kyou.  
  
Every morning, the young prince would go out for a stroll in the nearby gardens. He enjoyed the peace and quiet where he could think freely and relax in the warmth of their kingdom. The castle was always bustling with energy, people making lots of noise.  
  
The particular garden he entered was his favorite, most secret spot. Not many knew about it as it was hidden behind a forested area. Here he could be himself, putting aside the princely mask. Often times, he would read the books that he had taken from the royal library.  
  
As he entered the clearing, he was in for a surprise. Standing by the lake's edge was a young lady with long, dark brown hair. Watching her as she bent to pick the wildflowers, he heard her softly singing a song. Her sweet voice drew him in and captivated him.  
  
His body moving of its own free will, he didn't notice as he slowly walked towards her. Turning around at the snap of a twig, the image of the young lady caused the prince's breath to catch in his throat. Her warm, chocolate brown eyes sparkled with kindness as the sunlight kissed her rosy cheeks.  
  
Smiling, she walked towards him with graceful movements. The young prince was speechless. She was like an angel down from heaven, sent to capture his heart and his mind. He watched her walking towards him, uncertain of how to act.  
  
"Hello. How are you?" she asked.  
  
He opened his mouth to reply, but no sounds came out. It was unbelievable that this enchanting maiden would speak to him. All other ladies of his kingdom were loud and noisy, always competing for his attention. Compared to this fair vision, the others were gauche and pretentious. The prince lost his ability to speak. Despite his lack of response, she continued speaking.  
  
"It's such a lovely day. I can't believe how lucky I was to find this place."  
  
"What are you d - doing h - here?" the prince stammered.  
  
"Enjoying the weather and peaceful atmosphere as I have escaped from my daily practices."  
  
"D - Daily practices?"  
  
"Ahh, I am but a princess-in-training. I have yet to master the necessary skills of being a princess. Most importantly, I am unready for the prince who might become my husband."  
  
"I - I think."  
  
The young lady cut him off as she heard a noise in the distance. The horns were being blown from the manor as her missing presence had been detected. Once again, the search party was being sent out to locate her.  
  
"I must run before I get in trouble. Bye now!"  
  
"W - W - Wait!!"  
  
It was too late. The princess-in-training had taken off through the nearby bushes. The prince was disappointed. He didn't even know her name. Despite so, he could not suppress his increased heartbeat and the butterflies in his stomach.  
  
He stood for a few minutes, staring down the path that she had taken. He then rushed home, eager to find his family. Excited, he wanted to tell them the good news.  
  
"Shigure! Kyou! I found the girl of my dreams!" he yelled as he rushed into their living room where they were relaxing.  
  
The king and princely cousin beamed with happiness. Typically, the prince would disappear at social gatherings held for the purpose of finding him a bride. As the next heir, it was important for their kingdom's future as well as his happiness. Around the ladies of the court, the prince felt uncomfortable and nervous, tending to ignore them.  
  
"That is truly good news! But remember the royal tradition, Yuki," warned the king.  
  
"You're only permitted to marry one who is a princess," Kyou replied.  
  
The smile on his face vanished and the color drained from his face. He had forgotten about the royal tradition. His angel was only a princess-in- training, therefore out of his reach. It was ironic that the only girl he wanted to marry was one who he couldn't have.  
  
He left the room in a sullen manner and headed to his own room. The pain he felt was unbearable so he went to lie on his bed. He fell into a disturbed sleep. In his dreams, his angel would come within his reach, but whenever he reached out for her, she vanished.  
  
As he awoke the next morning, his optimistic side got the better of him. She was a princess-in-training, readying herself for the one whom she would call husband. That meant that he could wait for her and wait forever he would, if need be.  
  
He quickly changed and rushed to the dining room. Eating very little, he packed away a few fruits for later. He was eager to visit his hiding spot, to wait and see if she would appear once again. He sat beneath the shade of the tree, waiting anxiously.  
  
The prince had made a promise to himself that he would overcome his awkwardness and speak to her if she came. It was high noon and yet the girl had not come. Just as the prince was about to leave in defeat, he heard rustling in the forest behind him and the princess-in-training revealed her presence.  
  
The prince felt difficulty breathing. She had come! She looked as lovely as she did the first time, if not more so. Quickly, he forced himself to swallow as she walked towards him. When his day was cloudy with gloom, her very presence brightened his day from being the worst day of his life to the very best.  
  
"Hello!" she cried out cheerfully.  
  
"H - Hello," he said, forcing the word out.  
  
"Fancy meeting you again. What are you doing here?"  
  
"This is m - my special spot."  
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Would you like me to leave?"  
  
"No!!" he yelled out forcefully.  
  
She looked at him in confusion before she smiled brightly. They sat together beneath the tree. The princess-in-training chatted with the quiet prince. She didn't seem to mind that he had little to say. The prince was just happy that he could see her one more time.  
  
**********  
  
"W - Will you m - meet me again?" he asked as she got up to leave.  
  
"Would you like that?" she asked.  
  
He nodded vigorously, not wanting her to hear his stammers. He waited with anticipation, fearful that she would reject his request. As she looked at him long and hard, he felt the heat rising to his cheeks in embarrassment.  
  
"Very well. I shall see you tomorrow!" she finally answered.  
  
She waved as she left. When she was gone from sight, the prince released the breath he had been holding. If she had rejected him, he didn't know what to do. As he walked back home, he memorized every detail about her and stored them away in his heart.  
  
They were to meet again the next day and many days after that. Mostly the princess-in-training would do all the talking while the prince merely listened. But it wasn't long before the prince was able to overcome his barrier and freely chat with her.  
  
Many times, they were both gone for the entire day. The prince was rarely to be seen within the castle walls. The relatives of the princess-in- training had given up on teaching her the ways of being a princess. The prince was happy to live and breathe beside his angel, the love of his life.  
  
One day, the prince felt his emotions for her overwhelm him. He needed to be careful how he told her, but there was no chance that he could keep his feelings a secret anymore. He waited until they were seated beneath the tree, side-by-side.  
  
"You're not going anywhere, are you?" he asked.  
  
"No, I'm not. Why?"  
  
"Because I'm afraid of losing you."  
  
"That is so sweet of you," she replied with a smile.  
  
"I have something important to tell you. Please don't interrupt before I'm finished. Okay?"  
  
She nodded, wondering what he had to tell her.  
  
"I love you," he simply said. "You are the bright sunshine of my life, clearing away all the darkened clouds and warming my heart. You are my angel from heaven, the girl of my dreams. You are the love of my life, the one with whom I want to spend eternity."  
  
He watched her as he finished his speech, wary of how she might respond. If she said no, that one word would rip out his heart and shatter it into a million pieces. He could take anything except a refusal. As long as she didn't reject him, there would be hope in his heart.  
  
"I don't."  
  
He silenced her with a kiss. He couldn't bear to hear the end of her sentence and he could give into his desire, just this once. As he pulled away, the princess-in-training blinked at him, her eyes round with surprise. As she was about to speak, the prince put a finger to her lips to silence her.  
  
"You don't have to say anything. I know this come as a surprise, but I couldn't contain myself any longer. As long as you don't refuse me, I will wait. Even if it is to the end of time, I will wait. I live for the day that you will say those three words back to me."  
  
"You're right. I am surprised, so much so that I don't know what to say."  
  
"Say nothing. Will you meet me again tomorrow?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Then I will leave you now, my love, and let you think about all that I've said."  
  
Leaving the garden, the princess-in-training watched in silence. She hadn't known the extent of his emotions. To her, he was someone very special, someone important in her life. She hadn't given much thought to their relationship, but had taken it for granted that he would be there.  
  
They continued meeting, having no changes despite what had happened previously. The only difference was the revelation of the prince's love for her. At times, the princess-in-training would feel happy that the sweet prince had fallen for her. Other times, she would feel sad, scared that she might break his heart.  
  
As they continued to meet, the prince would test his chances with her, every so often. Without warning, he would look into her eyes and softly kiss her. She never turned him away for which he was glad. He was able to express his love in a method beyond words.  
  
Bit by bit, the princess-in-training's heart soften towards the prince. He knew as she slowly came to return his soft kisses. The hope he felt began to grow, but he wasn't entirely satisfied. Only when she said those three words to him would he rejoice. He knew that it was only a matter of time.  
  
"Your every wish is my command. I love you and may you never forget that," he would say with each parting.  
  
**********  
  
One day, the princess-in-training was resting with her head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped protectively around her. He smiled as he watched her sleeping face. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head and whispered his famous words: I love you.  
  
"I love you," murmured the sleeping girl in his arms.  
  
His heart skipped a beat as he heard the words out of her mouth. These were the very words he wanted to hear from her lips. But he couldn't rejoice and shout out with happiness. She had said them in her sleep and might not have meant it to be for him. He decided to wait for her to awaken.  
  
She started to stir and smiled as she opened her eyes. Like he had promised, her prince was always by her side. She looked up into his handsome face. As with always, the love he felt for her was reflected in his eyes, the window to his soul.  
  
"Are you feeling better?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm always better when you're with me."  
  
His heart skipped a beat. She had never said such words to him before. He sensed that something was different about her, but he wasn't sure. Letting things play out, he smiled at her. With one hand, he brushed away the stray hairs from her beloved face.  
  
"How long have I been sleeping?" she asked.  
  
"Too long," he whispered as he lowered his head to hers.  
  
He could feel her lips turn into a smile as their lips touched. The beat of his heart increased and the butterflies in his stomach were hard at work. Unlike before, she was returning his kisses fully, something he had never experienced before.  
  
"Why did you stop?" she asked.  
  
"Because I might never be able to if I didn't now."  
  
"Then don't," she said as she brushed her lips across his.  
  
He stiffened. She was inviting his kisses and even kissing him of her own free will. The difference with her was now so obvious. Unlike the previous days, she was more receptive towards his advances and more affectionate towards him. He decided to test his theory.  
  
"I love you," he said.  
  
"And I love you too," she replied, grinning at him.  
  
"Do you truly mean it??"  
  
"I do. You are my light in all the darkness, the sweetest prince with whom I could spend eternity."  
  
His wish had come true! The love of his life freely admitted to returning his feelings. But there was one dark cloud on this bright day for the prince. His face fell and he looked away in pain. How could they be together when he wasn't allowed to marry her, a princess-in-training?  
  
"What is it?" she asked with concern.  
  
"I'm only allowed to marry a princess as by royal tradition."  
  
"You will marry me, will you not?"  
  
"How can I?" he asked. "You are only a princess-in-training."  
  
"You are wrong, my love. Once I find the one with whom I can spend my life, I am a princess."  
  
The prince's shouts of joy could be heard from the castle. He was no longer a prince in waiting, now able to marry the girl of his dreams. He rushed back to his home with his angel, bringing her before his family.  
  
**********  
  
The wedding was a glorious affair where everyone was packed into the royal church. There wasn't a single dry eye in the building as they watched the ceremony. The love between the two was obvious as their eyes never left each other.  
  
"You may kiss the bride," said the priest.  
  
The prince lifted the veil from his angel's face.  
  
"I love you, my darling princess," he whispered.  
  
"And I love you, my dear sweet prince."  
  
The crowd cheered as their lips touched to seat their marriage and they lived happily ever after. 


End file.
